Jim Dandy

Champion Fierceness Bounces Back, Fends Off Sierra Leone in Thrilling Jim Dandy

Last year's champion 2-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), a very disappointing 15th as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby last out, showed up in a big way Saturday, defeating favored 'Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) by a length in a fantastic renewal of the GII Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. It was another 5 3/4 lengths back to Batten Down (Tapit) in third. Drawn widest of all in post six, the 9-5 second-choice exited the stalls running beneath John Velazquez and was perfectly...

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Sierra Leone Gets Final Jim Dandy Prep For Brown

'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) breezed a solo four furlongs Sunday in :49.73 over the Oklahoma training track for trainer Chad Brown in his final work before Saturday's GII Jim Dandy Stakes. NYRA clockers noted an opening quarter-mile in :25.25 and a gallop out in 1:02.68, 1:14.93 and 1:28.92. "He did super. He's in a nice rhythm," said Brown. "He's been working solo on the training track - I'm liking it. He galloped out with good energy. That's just what I'm looking for six days out." Sierra Leone...

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Ohio Derby Winner Batten Down Probable for Jim Dandy

Juddmonte homebred Batten Down (Tapit) is probable for next Saturday's GII Jim Dandy Stakes, per Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The gray won the nine-furlong GIII Ohio Derby last out June 22 at Thistledown. "I guess that is the way we are going," Mott said. "When you have a horse like that, you look at all the options and think of where you fit. We felt it was time to reach out and take a chance in the Jim Dandy." Mott added that the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes Aug....

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Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Stall Off To Strong Start At Saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Last summer, we hardly knew Kentucky-based trainer Al Stall Jr. During the 40 days of the 2023 Saratoga meet, Stall came up with one win in 12 starts. It's a little different a year later. Four days into the Spa season and Stall has started three horses. He has won with two of them and finished second with the third. "This pays the bar tab and the food tab," Stall said inside his office at his barn on the Saratoga backstretch Sunday morning. "We have to start working...

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Cody's Wish Breezes for Whitney

Cody's Wish (Curlin) worked five furlongs in 1:00 (1/15) Saturday over the Oklahoma training track in preparation for the $1-million GI Whitney Aug. 5. The Godolphin homebred is currently on a six-race winning streak topped by a powerful 3 1/4-length score last out in the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. June 10 at Belmont Park. "He was very good. He went five eighths and went well and appeared to be well within himself," Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. "We're uncertain about the nine furlongs (in the Whitney),...

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Forte Works Towards Jim Dandy; Becky's Joker To Spinaway

Reigning Champion 2-Year-Old colt Forte (Violence) logged his first breeze of the summer at Saratoga Race Course when covering a half-mile in :48.90 seconds over the Oklahoma dirt training track Friday with regular jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. up for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The colt worked in company with graded stakes-winner Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) in preparation for the GII Jim Dandy July 29 at the Spa. "He jumped on the bridle a little early, so I kind of took a little hold away from the horse," said...

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Mage Decision On Haskell Coming Tuesday

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--A decision will be announced Tuesday on whether Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) will run in the GI Haskell S.  July 22 or train up to the GI Travers S. Aug. 26, co-owner Ramiro Restrepo said Friday. Mage was given a break from training by trainer Gustavo Delgado after his third-place finish in the GI Preakness S. May 20. He had his fourth timed work Friday--six furlongs in 1:13.40--at the Thoroughbred Training Center in Lexington, Ky. "Gustavo just wants to watch the horse until Tuesday," Restrepo said....

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Saratoga Set for 155th Season of Racing

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y--Nothing new at old Saratoga this summer. As has been the case for many decades, most of racing's stars will be in town for America's most important Thoroughbred meet of the year. The first race of the 40 days of the 155th season opens at 1:10 p.m. Thursday with a 10-race program at Saratoga Race Course. By the time the meeting reaches its conclusion on Labor Day, Sept. 4, over 400 races, including 71 stakes worth $20.8 million, will have been run. The traditional opening-day feature is the...

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Spendthrift Keeps Options Open For GSW Kingsbarns

GII Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) remains a possibility for either the GII Jim Dandy July 29 at Saratoga Race Course or the previous week's GI Haskell S. at Monmouth Park said Spendthrift Farm's general manager Ned Toffey. "We're freshening him a little bit, keeping some options open," Toffey said. "There's the Haskell and the Jim Dandy and we'll look at those, but we'll talk with [trainer] Todd [Pletcher] and just keep things open. Obviously, it gets pretty tough with fewer spots for these good 3-year-olds. You won't find...

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Brown Duo Tune Up for Jim Dandy

The Chad Brown-trained duo of GI Preakness S. winner Early Voting (Gun Runner) and GI Toyota Blue Grass S. hero Zandon (Upstart) each put in their final breezes Saturday at Saratoga for next week's GII Jim Dandy S. The former breezed in company with GII Amsterdam S.-bound Accretive (Practical Joke) and was credited with five panels in 1:01.05 (12/30), while the latter covered the same distance in 1:01.95 (22/30) by himself. "Both horses did really well," said Brown. Zandon went alone. It was a nice easy work for him. I...

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Brown to Decide On Haskell or Jim Dandy for Early Voting After Saturday Work

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - With the $1.25 million GI Travers S. on Aug. 27 as his summer goal, trainer Chad Brown said Thursday morning that he is close to declaring what path his GI Preakness S. winner Early Voting (Gun Runner) will take to Saratoga's biggest race. Brown has two options: send the colt to Monmouth Park to face unbeaten stablemate Jack Christopher (Munnings) in the GI Haskell Invitational S. on July 23 or wait a week and race him against another stablemate, GI Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Zandon (Upstart)...

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Consistency Over Long Haul Stands Out for Top Soph

The Week in Review by T.D. Thornton For the past two racing seasons, we've seen two top-rated United States 2-year-olds in each year maintain impeccable form for a period of about 12 months, straight through to a deep point in their sophomore campaigns. That's a fairly remarkable occurrence in this day and age. Tiz the Law (Constitution) broke his maiden at Saratoga on Aug. 8, 2019, then prevailed in the GI Runhappy Travers S. exactly one year later. The compact bay who raced with a relentless swagger lost only once...

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